Is Competition Healthy?

The other night I was watching Steve Job’s the movie titled Jobs. The part of Steve Jobs was played by Ashton Kuchter. For months, I have been picking my brain cells on finding a ways on creating a service / product / business idea / start-up ideas / innovative / creative. As I was flipping through the channel. I finally landed watching Jobs the movie.

Before this I have watched ‘Pirates of the Silicon Valley’. Back then the peak of Personal Computers, Word Processors and the Idea of ‘Computers’ was a huge potential idea. It changed world. It changed how people worked, changed how people think and of course how it could revolutionize the IT Industry. It was a new dawn and tech companies are going head t0 head to creating a product that was marketable and sellable. Selling the Idea and the Image of what the Brand would be: Social Status (of having a product from Apple).

Half-way through the Movie, I watched how something that was created from the back of a garage could make wonders but at the same time break some hearts. It was a bitter sweet moment. To watch Steve Jobs create “Change“. With Change comes Risks. How he took on challanges and risks of building his own Empire of Apple products (Lisa 1 and Lisa 2) and then having it sweeped off his feet just like that in nanoseconds. Then collaborating with Macintosh to create a product that could be used by EVERYONE. (The lisa 1 and lisa 2 could be owned by ANYONE who had the budget of course). Through-out the journey he never gave up even when he was on the verge of being crumbling. Why I said Bitter Sweet? Through-out his career, he had Empire but at the same time lost his closets friends who stuck by him through thick and thin, lost family members and loved ones over the obession of perfection. The perfection of making a Masterpiece that would Change Mankind.

Is Competition Healthy? Back then when Computers was on the verge of Success. Apple had several competitors: IBM, Microsoft (software) Dell etc etc.

There was some of my favourite quotes from The Jobs Movie that I thought had significant meaning to me. It sounded something like this:-

Instead of looking at how we can beat the competitors. Look at how we can be different from the competitors. By Steve Jobs

Having your own Unique Identity can help you stand-out from your Competitors.

Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you, and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own thigns that other people can use. By Steve Jobs

2. There are so many other there that can sells the same products like you. Example: Food Industry is the blooming industry that has higher and faster ROI (Return of Investment) in Brunei Darussalam. And Car Wash Indsutry has the slowest ROI. How to set yourself apart from the crowd? Having your own Unique Services. Services in forms of delivery, packaging or even customer service assistance.

You’ve got to have a problem that you want to solve; a wrong that you want to right. By Steve Jobs

3. Many times we often jump into things without really seeing the bigger picture. I learned from my pass experience. To do things that others do because we were programmed since we were little to get through to a good education, get a secure job, get married and then work and retire till you are in your late 50s. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having a secure job that pays you for your 9 to 5. But what if there was more to life? More to the 9 to 5. An alternative to earn passive income that is active and at the same time still have time to spend with your loved ones and perhaps going on Vacay?

Salary is not enough every month?

Not enough time to finsh off work duties?

Not enough time with the children?

Now with the Financial and Economic Crisis, is it enough? (Bersyukur that we are still alive and breathing, we can still change that just enough to sufficent)

Having sufficent amount in your bank account that can be generated for charity and donations, savings and investments and also money to spend for your family’s necessities.

Having enough time with your family.

Having good health and always in high-spirits

Its being able to identfy the problem and helping to find a solution. It’s identifying a wrong and having the power to rectify it. It’s being able to contribute back the Nation and the commuity. To be able to help others who are less fortunate than us.

Don’t look at competitions as a roadblock on your journey to success. Look at competitions in a different spot-light : Your motivation to being different! You can CHOOSE to be Different